Arrangement and Process For The Wrapping Of A Bale

Abstract

An arrangement is provided for the wrapping of a bale. The arrangement has a drive for the introduction of a wrapping material into a baling chamber, a sensor for the detection of a physical size of a bale developing in a baling chamber, and a control arrangement connected with the drive and the sensor, to activate the drive based on the signals from the sensor. It is proposed that the control arrangement be operated to activate the drive looking ahead, based upon the detected growth rate in the size of the bale and the time delay between the activation of the drive and the exact time in which the wrapping material reaches the baling chamber, so that the wrapping material reaches the baling chamber when the size of the bale is equal to the desired size of the bale.

1 . An arrangement for the wrapping of a bale, the arrangement having:
 a drive for the introduction of a wrapping material into a baling chamber;   a sensor for the detection of the physical size of a bale being formed in the baling chamber; and,   a control arrangement connected to the drive and the sensor that is arranged so as to activate the drive based upon the signals of the sensor;   wherein the control arrangement is activated looking ahead based upon a detected growth rate of the bale and the time delay between the activation of the drive and the exact time the wrapping material reaches the baling chamber, so that the wrapping material reaches the baling chamber when the size of the bale equals the desired size.   
     
     
         2 . An arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein the control arrangement is supplied with information regarding the forward operating velocity. 
     
     
         3 . An arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein the control arrangement is operated so as to determine the growth rate of the bale on the basis of the signals of at least one of the sensors and a further sensor to determine at least one of the amount of the harvested crop entering the baling chamber and yield data stored in memory. 
     
     
         4 . An arrangement according to  claim 2 , wherein the control arrangement is operated so as to calculate an average growth rate of the bale referenced to the path length covered and to multiply this by the immediate forward propulsion velocity in order to determine the growth rate of the size of the bale. 
     
     
         5 . An arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein the control arrangement is at least one of: connected with a display arrangement through which an operator is provided with an advice to stop the towing vehicle; and connected with a velocity input arrangement of the towing vehicle in order to stop the towing vehicle at the beginning of the wrapping process. 
     
     
         6 . An arrangement according to  claim 5 , wherein the control arrangement is one of operated so as to activate the drive and the display arrangement and the velocity input arrangement of the towing vehicle in such a way that harvested crop continues to enter the baling chamber when the wrapping material reaches the baling chamber. 
     
     
         7 . An arrangement according to  claim 6 , wherein the control arrangement is operated so as to automatically activate the drive until the bale has grasped the wrapping material. 
     
     
         8 . An arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein the control arrangement is operated so as to automatically activate the drive until the wrapping material is located shortly before the baling chamber but has not yet been grasped by the bale and to again activate the drive subsequently following an operator's input in an operator's input arrangement, until the bale has grasped the wrapping material. 
     
     
         9 . An arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein the physical size of the bale is one of its density and its dimension in the radial direction. 
     
     
         10 . A baler having a baling chamber and an arrangement having:
 a drive for the introduction of a wrapping material into a baling chamber;   a sensor for the detection of the physical size of a bale being formed in the baling chamber; and,   a control arrangement connected to the drive and the sensor that is arranged so as to activate the drive based upon the signals of the sensor;   wherein the control arrangement is activated looking ahead based upon a detected growth rate of the bale and the time delay between the activation of the drive and the exact time the wrapping material reaches the baling chamber, so that the wrapping material reaches the baling chamber when the size of the bale equals the desired size.   
     
     
         11 . A baler according to  claim 10 , wherein the wrapping material consists of one of twine, net, or a foil. 
     
     
         12 . A process for the wrapping of a bale, having the following steps:
 making a drive available for the introduction of a wrapping material into a baling chamber;   making a sensor available for the determination of a physical size of a bale developing in a baling chamber;   making a control arrangement available that is connected to the drive and the sensor, that activates the drive based upon the signals of the sensor;   wherein the control arrangement activates, looking ahead, the drive based on the detected growth rate of the bale and the time delay between the activation of the drive and the exact time that the wrapping material reaches the baling chamber, so that the wrapping material then reaches the baling chamber when the size of the bale equals the desired size.